Colorado jury finds caregiver guilty for neglecting cousin

February 17, 2018

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — A man has been found guilty on felony neglect charges in Colorado after authorities said he let a disabled cousin with Down syndrome wither to a mere 60 pounds.

The Pueblo Chieftain reports a jury convicted 52-year-old Michael Esquibel Thursday on charges of neglect and serious bodily injury to an at-risk adult, which could send him to prison for up to six years.

Esquibel was the caregiver for his 47-year-old cousin, Karl Martinez, who died in December 2010 after being hospitalized for more than year.

In November 2009, medical crews were reportedly called to Esquibel’s home after neighbors witnessed him carrying Martinez to a vehicle. The victim was found to have a broken femur and severe bedsores and weighed only 60 pounds.